CHAPTER | INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL RESEARCH AL Legal Research, defined Jn general, egal research isthe process offindingthe lnws, rules and regulations that govem activities in human society. involveslocatmgboth the ves mudrules which are enforcedby the State and the commentaristahich expen or analyze these rules. Legalzesearch is also defmed.as the investigation for sifor- sation necessary to support legal decisionmaking. Legalzesearch, ‘chides each step ofa procesctiut been wih analyzing facte fa problem and conchudeswith applying und commmmicetingthe resube ofthe awvestigation. 1B The Needfor Legal Research “Alawryeris requiredto provide competentrepresenation to 4 lien. Competentrepresertatonrequiresthe egulimowledge tal, ‘horouaness and preparation reasonably necereay forthe repre sentation Clearly,a lnwyermmst be able to research the lev to provide competertrepresentation. Inaddionto requirements ofprofessionakesponsiilty ques- ‘ns relatingto competencyn legeresearch may aise in sts for damages, wing from legal ncompetenceor clainsfor malicious ‘rosecutian. ‘The lnowledgeand ability to use fundamental egalresearch tools and to implement an effective and efficient research plan Jeon, Munky tak Da Lp Rsk Basal (hed) Wahsmut became put and pucel of every lve’ taining forhin dhe to rovide caupetat reresereton and wphol the studas fhe gal yrfesson* 1 1992, a specil tad force ofthe American Bar Assocation ne schools wl the leg profession sued a report that stated “Pecan hardly be dotted dat the abity to do log] revearch is ce of the alls Gat xy canpetnt practioner mist possess." ‘Dt repart abo stated "iu eer to candhet lege research effec. tiely, a lvoyer showld lure a working Inowledge ofthe matte of legal rues and gpl instintions, the fndimertal took of legal esewch, and the process of evichg and duplmmerting coherent td effective reset design" C. Sources of Legal Research Leg research awolres the wt of a versty of peated and elerone. souces. The pried sauces Hehe the Conctition Satael cout decsers, adanisratze rus wel scholely can- smectares Conpite ditabases comtahing these and other mater: fs Iuve dramatically dunged the matre of legal research and Improved is efectieness. They lave net, however. elmauted its camplecties The vohme wa varaty of kgu Ineranre contmes ‘to gow.meking the researcher's choxe of took end tactics for ech, problem more df un ever_Atharough understunding of are fle lege resorces, both publidhd end computerized. is neces: sy. Thee we as many jocedres as there are roblaas, and 70 Sige appotch con vet every te. D. Sowees of Law Legal soxxces fer ithe relate suthorty, Some ae bind. sng others we enlypasusize hvuyng degees: und some we ly ‘wef as tools fer fing other material These varitions require ftwe resewchers male cerefl and ertical evadution ofthe sources they suy. Whither researching bybodk or by camper, ane mist bbe fenbar wah the tree toed cetegarss of kgal Inerene(¢) mary sources (b)secondry meters; and (c) nding tools a QBs km, Legal Rocochin a Mel Pa Mia Ws b> hing Ca 9p 2 [DETRODUCTIONTOLEGAL RESEARCH 3 1 Primuy Sources Primacy souces of bow ae those recorded es and niles ‘wbich wall be exfered by the State. They mey be found insttees pesed bythe kegchure registers eviming ofedninitative ‘gmeies ne decsins of appeletecouts.” ye primary cil iw jrdirtion ke the Phlppnes, the prods of legsbtive achans, codes und sates, are de fist inajr primary sources. Codes ae states have came to gprem even greater veraty of Jaman actiay. ‘The second mejor categmry ofprimary sources i uci deck sims. Ox Hulppie Supraie Cout we Coat of Appeal protice ‘ecisone hat canstnee Ow case I. Ox fein stom conssts ofa eredyy ocouts, nehuing ammber of tal carts (RIC, MIC, NCTC, awe niamediate tpelte cowrt (CAL ard a cout of ast resat, the Supreme Court This system sncaprates the rocesses of pelle review which higher couts retiew the Gis of lower coms, and judical review, i wich coats dtemiw the valday of lgeltne med ‘Athid inpatart pray source is adminsratine la, or the regiltions wa decisions of govammat agacies. Ste egacies romulgie regibtons goremng beluvier thin ther eras of 0 patie Agacies ako actin a ss julia” capac by contig, Jhearings and isuing decisions toresole putcular diputes 2. Secondary Materials Piblicatins whih are not primary authary tat which ds cuss or eral legal decree corsviered Secor materitls ‘These neha teatses, commertaries, and ewyclpedins Sane of the most hiatal ep wetings are found the eceden jour dlr Imorn ac law revs of aw schools or i publcetns Iie ‘he TBP Jounal and the Lawyers Review Stcaxiaty materials ‘rary wily peapose and Guilty. rmgng from euberitatie ‘ests by gett ccadonie sdiehae to spatiel tects by nade vedere. The best of thes works ach ee de Cail Code of the Philgpies by Amuro NM Tolmtto and Ranedal Lew Comper ys‘ LEGAL RESEARCH dam by Flare D. Regnlado have « parsuasite fhince on the Invamaking process by vi ofthe prestige ofthe auhars or the qualty offer sthokrsp. Secondary sources cane tayo « roblm eel provide reeerch referaces to both pranery sources fd other secondary materials Fhiing epromriste secondary materials is most often accom- plied tough the tse of hoe brary catalogs. egal periodical indaes, and other bblogephic aids. i edaition, cout decisions fend ther seconary sources frequently provide cations to persue ‘Sve Geetces nd nw zeview sxtiles” 3. Finding Tools Our kegisative, executive and jun Wrenches of govenment have been exacting we romulestng, codes. suites, Tues, reg Intons and court decisions an these have grown ito large body nvr The resercher therefore twede search materale or fning ‘tools in order to locete these egal sources Whthoxt a topical ap roach to en sources esewchars couldnet fn eciting sates ‘decisis on pont Avaied gow of fining took proves such access. Digests remit headhotes summarizing pots of lw from court decisions iva abject chesieation and amotanons sumnecie casts ape ‘iewbe topics. The SCRA Quick Ine Digest ene faving tool swaikble to the leg researcher. PHILJURIS wad LEX LIBRIS, ‘wo canprehersive end conpetng canppter-esed legal research systems, provide the capably to sewch for cases and other doce mets by using practically any verd or conbintin of weds Rang tools do et persunde, nar do they thamselres have ey pinay expesusize wtharty. Brag tool ar anlyemens fer beating primary sources. i then necessary to reed those primey soxces to detemine ther wpliabilty to « puticuke Sutin in keg resewch as i olher aspects of te heyers ‘werk, ane must exploy a highly developed sense ofvelevence - keen apprecition of wich sowces are leplly and factually x ceva to the speci ingity (CHAPTER 2 ‘THE LEGAL RESEARCH PROCESS ‘A. Systematic Approach to Legal Research, harder to solve legh problms accurately end comprehen. sively. there must be « systametic approach to legizeseerch, Four ‘asic steps are recommended, namely 1 Meni and analyoe the signiticant facts. ‘Fonmulste the leg isues to be reseeched Reser the Some presxted, Update» 1. Wentity and Analyzethe Significant Facts ‘The fist tack sto deity nd malyz the facts smroonding, ‘he puticular problaa, Some facts have legal signticance:obers doxot The process of legal esearch begas wath compiling « de- scree statement of legally signticat facts. Fecal emaljsis 36 ‘he ft sap ma formulating the egal issues tobe reseerthed. ‘The TARP Fale & a wseftl tedmige to amalyze your fats accerding tothe followingfectars: Te Thing or sibject mater, AL Cause faction or group of defense Re Relat sought P. Persons o paties ieobed en pct‘ LEGAL RESEARCH ‘he thing or subject matter in problem or controversy may be ~ siguficat elmert Fer ecampl, when « party claims tht ‘hare faviobtion ofthe temas oft comact the camact becomes sm essotal fact mike gate ‘The nest thing to be done i to dees the cham or crise of ction othe planet andthe defence tht aight be poe tp by the efendmt. Ina digpte vera caact, the cause of actin may be ‘Gren cheat ot isthe relief sought? Itmight be a cn action for am ges to ensver forthe ayury ceed by the teach of the contact erm ectin for specific perfomance to caupelthe other Paty 10 perfom a specific act as mandated the cortract orto enjoin he ther pety fran doing a specie act probly mn violin of the ‘The putes or pasons might be hurts, or might be gow tht i sigficu to the soktion ofthe jroblen rie ot feme of the Inst. Sinly, the relatinsip between the per fat contract ese 2. Fommate the Legel Issues to be Researched ‘This is the Satin) tele! actinny that premes same Jwwledge ofthe subsumeare lav. The goals to chsify catego. rar the problem ito gmenl wel tureashgly spect, sbject saens and to begin tolypothesio legal iste Consuk general secondary sources for an overview of allel evact subpct wees. nthe eeample sbove, ifthe legal issue a ‘oles avibitio ofa corzact the reseuch could stat byreedng, the tedbodks or teetises cn obligntins end cantrects by noted smaberties. At ths stage, these secendy Sources we Used to 20 ‘ie bedkgoma ifernation and tohelp youfonmulbte issurs: they te the tools not the objects cfresech ~ Vikting« cer, concise statment of each lege issue raised by ‘he significa facts mn inpartee and diffi iad ‘THE LEGALRESEARCHPROCESS nce statements oft iues have been drafted they should bbe annged in « logical putem to fama an outline. Logeally.re- Inte sssues may be combed as ib-ssues Under « Wonder men 3. Research the Ienues Presented, ‘Ate the facts huve been analyzed and the sssurs have been framed, 2 time to beg seseardang the frst ise 4. Orgenice and Pen Goodlegelzeseuchers, as are, we sptmaatic, methodical and agmzed, end they keep goodrecerts ‘ox each nie ts pwtae to decide wich sources toe, wich souces not to we, end the order wich sources hou be ecm: ‘be The best practice isto wre ov all sorces to be seuched, ‘der each sur tobe resewched even ¥ sources are repeted. b. Aden, Read and Update AM Relevrt Constincional Provisions, States, cud ddnoasiretive Regulations These Jee say sources canbe iertied in several ways Sandory Compilation: Sttary compibitions enost alrys dhave ables of conte and indees tut st the sbjects eel tops Corsredby te sates Becacee eleva satiny Jeovisine we ‘fen found in severe plces the compiled sattee, consi both fhe table of contents and the ine Compucer-Asisted Lege Research The Censtintion. suttes snd tdahistrtve regiktens we avulable on PHILJURS wal LECLIBRIS. It's possble to seuch the fall tt of these doce mas for sutites and regiltions that apply to you problem Secondry Sauces. Secondary sowces such as weatises and commentated hr review atcles commonly ce relevast cal sSthional provisions, states, md adanisratie regustions = Ht, Read nel Updete Ab Relevert Cave Law. fer “Mentfying und reading the relevant censtintional rorisions, st- ‘us and adanstatze regiaios, youmtst idee. read, and‘ EGAL RESEARCH ‘update the case nw that has nterpreted and applied those forms cof enacted lor as wells other case hr that is relevant to your fact tution Donot lait your starch to cases that sqpport your postion A, ‘competent researcher wil anticipate both sides of an argument tnd dentate caves that andieate conmary conchasons ‘eatices and commentaries on the codes and states ches cases that inenpret the states they discuss. As to computer as sisted legaresewch, both Philjris and Lex Libris cnbe searched forcasesthat have ceed the state." After Sdestifymg the relevant cases, as youread and brief or digest each case be sure to note its Full cation the ponente of te decison the date ofthe decision, the relevant facts,the holding, ‘Summary of the court's ressoning, and the sources cited by the cove Bach ofthe sources ced shouldbe reed and briefed and new ‘casts shouldbe added to your lst. Exch case youbrief shouldbe incorporated ito your ouline 4 Refine te Search After youhuve identified reed, and organized the primary sources, goto secondary sources to refine the search and expand your argument. Ifthe problem awolvesa Stnute, the legislative history might suggest the legislature's ‘ent inpassing the act and the problemthe In yas intended to remedy. Historical, social, economic and potiica infomation can ‘ot legal arguments in thex proper Conte and can swppart policy segments 4. Update Law changes constantly Ow Congress passes neve statutes and modifyoldones Our Supreme Cour eather efms the Iw eaffims the Dor or even changes the mterpretation of the Ive (Consul the Pairs or Lex Libis to detemane whether the wt ‘horities have been interpreted or akered in any stay or uth evr cases, statizes or regulations have been published CHAPTER 3 FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH SKILL: CASE BRIEFING AND SYNTHESIS OF CASES ‘As stated i the previous chapter the other mapartant steps sn legal research are to identify the relevent cases reed them and ‘en brief or digest each cave Whenthere are many’ casesvelevant ‘to the problem, younst relate the cases to each other, that is, synthesize them. AC Cast Bratng ‘Aluv schoolcase brief is «student's digest or condensation of reportedcase. Thre so one ‘correct‘Torsfor« case bref since ‘isa docmentthat is crested to meet the smdet'sneeds ie, t0 Serve as a reference class and, together with class notes, the smujor tools of cousezeview atthe end ofthe semester. ‘Most important is to keep your bref trief. Keep your sums muy of the courts reasoning to 4 useful length, but dont ‘hortchange the facts Whenthe case deals wih statites a many be Inelpfulto quote key words fromthe state terbarin ‘The typical componentsofa case briefcase are 1. Ree ‘Due facts deserbe the events between the pasties lesding to ‘he tigation and tell how the case cme before the cout that is now deciding t Include tose facts that are relevant tothe issue ‘Gu cout matt decide and tothe reasons for ts cision Youll notin whichfacts we relevent ntl youlnow what the issue or ‘snus are For eaumple J'the issue is whether there is psycholog! cal capecay cinder tice 36 ofthe Funny Code ofthe Bail pines, relevant facts nchade the fact of mamiage and the acts of ‘he spouse constanting peycholigicelacapacaty to comply with the cssentialmarital obligations